Electronic gaming devices, like slot machines, now account for over 60% of gaming revenue in casinos. Accordingly, new slot machine concepts are in increasing demand to satisfy the gaming public. Recent slot machine advances include large progressive jackpots, video graphics and bonus games.
In particular, bonus games are now integrated in a majority of the slot machines in the marketplace. For example, the Wheel of Fortune slot machines include a bonus game in the form of a numbered mechanical wheel. The bonus game, namely the wheel, is activated in response to pre-established primary game outcomes. Other bonus games comprise video-implemented games, ball-hoppers and player-selected outcomes.
To date, bonus games have been dedicated to providing a player a bonus or additional award. That is, in many instances, the bonus game award is the single award since no primary game award is required to trigger most bonus games. To the contrary, bonus games are typically triggered based on a pre-established primary game outcome having no corresponding monetary award (e.g., a bonus game symbol on reel three aligned along a device payline). Thus, it would be advantageous for a bonus game to provide an opportunity for a player to enhance a primary game award.